George Muller

Ever since we stepped out on faith to give our lives on the foreign mission field I have found so much encouragement in reading George Muller's autobiography.  It is a monster of a book, 731 pages of answered prayer.  The book is sub-titled a million and a half in answer to prayer.  Muller depended on God alone for his provision on a daily basis.  He never solicited funds or told his needs but just published a report after the fact to glorify the name of God for how He provided.  When understand God's providence and His decrees, you see that God provided for all of George Muller's needs by raising up people as the means to do it.  We have seen much of the same thing because we have the same God and He still answers prayers.  Here is a snippet of His biography:

If He only might be glorified, and His Church and the world be benefited.  Often and often this last point has of late passed through my mind, and I have placed myself in the position of having no means at all left, and 2,100 persons, not only daily at the table, but with everything else, to be provided for, and all funds gone; 189 Missionaries to be assisted, and nothing whatever left; about 100 schools, with about 9000 scholars in them, to be entirely supported, and no means in hand; about 4 million tracts and 10,000 Bibles yearly to be sent out, and all the money expended.  Invariably, however, with this probability before me, I have said to myself: God, who has raised up this work through me, God who has led me generally year after year to enlarge it, God who has supported this work now for more than forty years, will still help, and will not suffer me to be confounded, because I rely upon Him.  I commit the whole work to Him, and He will provide me with what I need, in future also.

Indeed God did provide for George Muller, all his needs, by faith alone, through prayer and supplication, without soliciting money or presenting the thousands of needs he had.  We serve the same God and He still answers prayers.  Although we shouldn't try and model Muller as far as starting orphanages, schools, and missions society's and expect God to automatically do the same thing, the principles that Muller lived by absolutely apply to us and God will provide in the same way.